Jeremiah says, "How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us,’" while claiming the "lying pen of the scribes" has made it into a lie (Jeremiah 8:8). The verse attacks confidence in corrupted teaching and claims of wisdom.
In Jeremiah 8:8–12, the speaker challenges Judah’s leaders who claim to be “wise” and to possess Yahweh’s instruction, yet their teaching has been twisted by scribes. Those called wise have actually rejected Yahweh’s word, so their “wisdom” collapses. These verses sit inside a larger rebuke where Jeremiah argues that Judah’s behavior is irrational and stubborn: they refuse to turn back even when consequences are obvious (earlier in chapter 8).
Jeremiah 8:8–12 portrays a leadership class claiming insight and authority (“we are wise,” “Yahweh’s law is with us”) while producing guidance that is untrue and destructive. The text ties “wisdom” to receiving and not rejecting Yahweh’s word, and it treats public religious teaching as something that can be mishandled by recognized experts (“scribes”).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Jeremiah 8:8, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
8How do you say, We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has worked falsely.